Separating-machine.



T. OJBALLARD.

SEPAEATING MACHINE. 1

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 3, 1911.

Patented F6113, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' y mxm.

fif/nassas.

T. 0. BALLARD. SEPARA'BING MACHINE;

APPLICATION IIL'ED 11111113, 1911.

1 ,Q8.6,01 1 Patented Feb. .3, 1914.

/ 3 SHEETS-811E312.- f,

Fgz

i/ I f 6/2 7142 23651566.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. C.

T. 0. BALLARD. SEPARATING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE3, 191 1.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

J a W if g5 Z Wizrzzssas. I

TAYLOR O. BALLARD, OF FRANKLIN, INDIANA.

SEPARATING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3,191 1.

Application filed June 8, 1911. Serial No. 631,003.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TAYLOR O. BALLARD,

a citizen of the United States, residing at F ranklin, in the county of Johnson and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Separating- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to separating machines of the kind in which the material is separated by placing the same in a liquid of a certain specific gravity intermediate between the specific gravities of the two grades into which the material is to be separated, so that the lighter grade will float on the surface of the liquid and the heavier grade will sink to the bot-tom. These machines are commonly called gravity separating machines.

The objects of this invention are to produce an efiicient and reliable machine of this kind in which the material to be separated is thoroughly stirred and mixed in the liquid so that all particles of the material are subj ected to the action of the liquid and a thorough and complete separation thereof is obtained; and to make this machine compact in construction, easy and economical in 0-peration, and of relatively large capacity.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of three sheets: Figure 1 is a transverse sectional elevation of a separating machine embodying the invention, on line 1-1, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sec- 35 tional elevation thereof on line 22, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof, on a reduced scale. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longit-udinal sectional elevation thereof, showing the feed hopper of the separator.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the several figures.

The machine comprises a suitable supporting frame in which is secured an open tank which contains the separating liquid. Into 45 one end of this tank the material to be separated is fed and from the other end thereof the separated material is removed by suitable elevating conveyers, and the present invention relates more particularly to the 50 means which are employed for moving the material through the liquid from the feed to the discharge end of the tank and for producing a thorough intermingling of the material with the liquid so that every particle 55 of material will be acted upon by the liquid. The supporting frame and tank for the liquid may be of any suitable construction. In the construction shown, A represents the frame, which comprises a plurality of horizontal and vertical bars a a suitably secured together to form a rigid support or skeleton on which the various parts of the machine are mounted, and B represents the tank for the liquid. This tank at its head or feed end is of semi-cylindrical or trough shape, and at its discharge end has a depressed bottom portion Z) which is connected with the bottom of the semi-cylindrical portion by an inclined part or chute b. A suitable feed hopper b is secured to the front or feed end of the tank for feeding the material to be separated to the machine.

In the semi-cylindrical portion of the tank B, at its feed end, is arranged the means employed for advancing the material through the tank and for mixing the material with the liquid. This consists of a separating drum or cylinder G which preferably has an inner liquid-tight cylindrical portion or core 0, and an outer peripheral portion 0 of screening or other perforated material which is suitably spaced from the central portion and forms the outer surface of the drum. The drum may be rotatably mounted in the tank in any desirable manner. In the construction shown, the drum is provided with a central shaft 0 which is journaled in suitable bearings in the tank and end frame of the machine, and atits inner end is provided with a suitable sprocket wheel 0 or other means by which it is connected to the source of power.

The space between the peripheral portion of the drum and the central or core portion thereof is open at the feed end of the machine for receiving the material which is fed into the tank, and at the opposite end for discharging the material from the drum. In this space is arranged an imperforate plate or flange D which closes this space and extends spirally around the core of the drum from end to'end thereof. As the drum is r0- tated, this spiral flange causes the material which is fed into one end of the drum to be advanced through the same and discharged at the other end thereof, the mesh of the outer surface of the drum being sufficiently fine to prevent the material from passing through the same To facilitate the movement of the material through the drum, a second or auxiliary flange D may be provided, if desired, which is arranged in the discharge end of the drum between the spirals of the flange D.

A small amount of clearance is left between the outer surface of the drum and the inner surface of the semi-cylindrical portion of the tank in which the drum is mounted, and to keep this space clear from any material which might find its way therein, the outer surface of the drum is preferably pro vided with spiral flanges E which are arranged thereon so as to advance the material in this space to the discharge end of the drum when the latter is rotated.

The shaft 0 in which the drum C is mounted may be rotated in any suitable manner. In the construction shown in the drawings, the sprocket wheel 0 on the rear end of the shaft 0 is connected by a chain j to a sprocket wheel f secured on the countershaft F, which is suitably journaled in the frame of the machine. The countershaft is connected with and driven from the main drive shaft G of the machine by a chain f and sprocket wheels f and f* secured on the countershaft and the drive shaft respectively. The drive shaft is provided with the usual drive pulleys g for connecting it with the source of power.

The operation of the parts of the machine so far described is as follows: The tank is filled to the desired level with a suitable liquid or brine of the necessary specific gravity to effect the desired separation, and the material to be separated is fed into the drum through the feed hopper in the end of the tank. The lighter particles of the material will float on the liquid in the upper portion of the drum, and the heavier particles will sink to the bottom of the drum and rest on the lower inner side thereof. The spirals of the revolving drum move both the light and heavy particles of the material through the liquid to the discharge end of the drum, the heavy particles being discharged from the drum upon the inclined chute Z) of the tank, on which they slide to the depressed portion 6 thereof, while the floating particles pass along the surface of the liquid and out the discharge end of the drum where they remain floating on the liquid until removed. The heavier particles of material which rest upon the bottom of the drum are caused by the action of gravity to roll or travel along the inner surface of the drum as the latter is rotated. These heavier particles thus are subjected to a constant movement so that each particles becomes subjected to the action of the separating liquid. This prevents any lighter particles of material from being carried down and retained in the bottom of the drum by the heavier particles.

The rolling movement to which the heavier material in the drum is subjected as the drum rotates is of especial advantage in the separation of tender material, such as peas,

for which machines of this type are extensively used. The heavier peas in the bottom of the drum roll freely along the inner surface of the drum so as to permit a thorough separation thereof and at the same time do not become crushed or have their skins broken as in constructions in which they are pushed or scraped along by conveyers. The spirals give a sufficient movement to the lighter material which floats on the liquid, to prevent the same fro-m carrying along with it any heavier material. A very complete and uniform separation of the material is thus effected in its passage through the drum.

Any suitable means may be employed for removing the separated material from the tank. In the construction shown in the drawings, two elevating conveyers H and I are employed, which comprise sprocket chains h 71, and i i to which suitable scoops or buckets 7L and z" are secured, which are made of perforated material or screening to allow the liquid to drain off from the separated material. The conveyer H collects the floating material from the surface of the liquid and the chains h h thereof run over the sprocket wheels h and Ir" which are fixed on shafts M and h journaled in the upper portion of the frame of the machine, and over sprocket wheels h and if, secured on shafts it and h journaled in. the frame of the machine at such a distance above the tank that the scoops or bucketes it can skim the floating material from the surface of the liquid. The conveyer I collects the heavier material from the bottom of the tank and travels over sprocket wheel 6 and i which are secured on the shafts 71 and W, and over sprocket wheels 2' secured to a shaft 11 suitably journaled in the depressed portion 6 of the tank so that the scoops will readily remove the material therefrom.

The two conveyers are preferably driven from the drive shaft G by means of a chain passing over a sprocket wheel 70 secured on the shaft G and a sprocket wheel se cured on the shaft 72. In the construction shown in the drawings, the shaft a is journaled in arms Z pivotally secured to the frame of the machine in such a manner that this shaft may be adjusted toward or from the drive shaft G by a suitable adjusting screw L, by means of which the chains may be adjusted to any desired degree of tension. Any other drive connection between the shaft G and the conveyers may be employed if desired, or the conveyors may be driven independently of the drum C.

M and N represent two hoppers into which the separated materials are discharged by the conveyers, the conveyer H discharging the lighter material into the hopper M, and the conveyer I discharging the heavier material into the hopper N. Both hoppers are provided with suitable discharge chutes or passages m n which carry off the separated materials. These chutes and the hoppers M and N are preferably provided with perforated or screen bottoms m n to permit the liquid to drain off of the separated material. In order to prevent the mixing of the separated materials, a screen or partition m is provided between the two conveyers, and a similar partition or dividing wall at prevents the floating material from passing into the extreme rear of the separator tank, where it might be gathered up by the scoops of the conveyer I.

The machine is very compact in its on ganization, since all the separation is effected by one rotating part and the elevating conveyers for the separated material are arranged side by side so that but little more mechanism is required to operate both conveyers than would ordinarily be required to operate one conveyor. This compact arrangement of the parts makes it possible to considerably reduce the size of the tank and thus lessen the quantity of liquid required for the separation. The size of the tank is further reduced by the fact that the rotating drum and its spirals cause a rapid separation of the material in the liquid, so that the distance which the material must travel in the liquid to insure its complete separati on is greatly lessened and at the same time the capacity of the machine is materially increased.

I claim as my invention:

1. A separator for grading materials of different specific gravity regardless of their size, comprising a tank containing a separating liquid, a rotary drum screen of a mesh adapted to prevent the passage of the material through the screen surface, partly submerged in said liquid, said drum being open at one end to receive the material into the drum and at its opposite end to discharge the material from the drum, means for rotating said drum, and means adapted to move said graded material toward the discharge end of said drum.

2. A separator adapted to grade materials of different specific gravity regardless of their size, comprising a tank containing a separating liquid, a rotary drum screen of a mesh adapted to prevent the passage of the material through the screen surface, partly submerged in said liquid, said drum being open at one end to receive the material into the drum and at its opposite end to discharge the material from the drum, means for rotating said drum, and a spiral flange in said drum which rotates therewith and is adapted to move said material toward the discharge end of the drum.

3. A separator adapted to grade materials of different specific gravity regardless of their size, comprising a tank containing a separating liquid, a rotary drum screen of a mesh adapted to prevent the passage of the iaterial through the screen surface, partly submerged in said liquid, said drum being open at one end to receive the material into the drum and at its opposite end to discharge the material from the drum, means for rotating said drum, a spiral flange in said drum which rotates therewith and is adapted to move said material toward the discharge end of the drum, and means at the discharge end of said drum for separately removing the different grades of material.

l. A separator for gradingmaterials of different specific gravity regardless of their size, comprising a tank containing a separating liquid, a rotary drum partly submerged in said liquid and arranged to permit the material to move in the liquid lengthwise through the drum, said drum being open at one end to receive the material into the drum and at its opposite end to discharge the material from the drum, means for rotating said drum, and means for moving the material through the drum.

5. In a separating machine, the combination of a tank containing separating liquid and having a semi-cylindrical portion, a cylindrical hollow drum having perforations of finer mesh than the material to be separated rotatably mounted in the semicylindrical portion of said tank, said drum being partially submerged in the liquid and open at one end to receive the material and at its opposite end to discharge all of the material, a spiral flange which is arranged on the inner face of the outer wall of said drum and extends from end to end thereof, a spiral flange arranged on the outer face of the outer wall of said drum, means for rotating said drum, and means at the discharge end of said drum for removing the separated material from said tank, substantially as set forth.

6. In a separating machine, the combination of a frame, a tankcontaining separating liquid mounted in said frame, a hollow drum of finer mesh than the material to be separated journaled in said tank and partially submerged in said liquid, said drum being open at one end to receive the material fed into said tank and at its opposite end to discharge all of the material from said drum, a spiral flange which is arranged on the inner face of the outer wall of said drum and extends from end to end thereof, means for rotating said drum, separate upright elevating conveyers arranged one in advance of the other on said frame at the discharge end of said drum, and means for operating said -conveyers to remove the separated material from said drum.

7 In a separating machine, the combination of a frame, a tank containing separating liquid mounted in said frame, said tank having a semi-cylindrical bottom portion at one end, a depressed bottom portion at its opposite end, and an inclined chute connecting said bottom portions, a hollow cylindrical drum of finer mesh than the material to be separated rotatably mounted in the semicylindrical portion of said tank and par tially submerged in said liquid, said drum being open at one end to receive the material fed into said tank and at its opposite end to discharge the material from said drum and having a spiral flange which is arranged on the inner face of its outer Wall and extends from end to end thereof, means for rotating said drum, two upright elevating conveyers arranged one in advance of the other on said frame at the discharge end of said drum, the inner conveyer being adapted to remove the lighter separated material from the surface of said liquid at the discharge end of said drum, and the outer conveyor being adapted to remove the heavier material from the depressed bottom portion of said tank, and means for operating said conveyers.

lVitness my hand, this 25th day of May,

TAYLOR O. BALLARD. Witnesses Var. FEATI-IERNGILL, M. G. MARTIN, MoRRnLL TILSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, I). 0. 

